Archive - 2019

Disney Streaming Services to Shine at D23 Expo 2019

2019/07/30

BURBANK, Calif. (July 30, 2019) – For the first time ever, three of Disney’s signature streaming services, Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu, will showcase their variety of original and exclusive content through immersive show floor pavilions, live demos, never-before-seen content, and special experiences at D23 Expo 2019 in Anaheim, California. Guests will be the first to experience Disney+ before it launches in the U.S. on November 12. They will also get to step into the world of ESPN+ Original shows with an interactive exhibit, and discover costumes and show props from Hulu’s award-winning original content and on-demand streaming library.

Disney+ Pavilion
On the Expo show floor, the Disney+ Pavilion will offer guests demonstrations of the live Disney+ app as experienced across mobile and connected TV devices, showcasing the unprecedented collection of entertainment from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Guests will also see costumes and props from Disney+ Originals and have the opportunity to subscribe to the service with a special offer available exclusively to Expo attendees and D23 Members.

Off of the show floor, Disney+ will make its debut appearance in the 6,800-seat Hall D23 and D23 Expo Arena venues:

Disney+ First Look Showcase
Friday, August 23, 3:30 p.m., Hall D23
Fans won’t want to miss this exclusive preview of Disney+ and its exciting slate of original films and series from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and more. Yvette Nicole Brown (Lady and the Tramp, Elena of Avalor) will host this star-studded presentation packed with never-before-seen content, surprise guests, performances, and reveals, including a first look at Lady and the Tramp, The Mandalorian, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and many more.

High School Musical: The Musical: The Series Sneak Peek Screening and Panel
Friday, August 23, 5:30 p.m., D23 Arena
Before the global phenomenon returns in a brand-new series on Disney+, Expo guests are invited to a special advance screening of the first episode and panel with the talented new cast on the arena stage.

ESPN+ Pavilion
At the ESPN+ Pavilion guests will have the opportunity to see and connect with exciting original content, with two interactive exhibits dedicated to new programs making their ESPN+ debut this summer, Peyton’s Places (with five-time NFL MVP Peyton Manning) and SneakerCenter.

Peyton’s Places: Peyton’s Places is a 30-episode documentary series hosted by Peyton Manning, exclusively on ESPN+. Produced by ESPN+ and NFL Films, the series offers a fun, insightful tour through 100 years of football, following the sport and the league’s rise to an American cultural touchstone. For nearly a year, Manning has crisscrossed the country, visiting the people and places that have played an important part in the making of the NFL—highlighting memorable events, teams, players, and trends over the past century. Peyton’s Places begins streaming on ESPN+ in late July.

SneakerCenter: SneakerCenter is a series devoted to sneaker culture across sports, entertainment, and more. Told by the star athletes, artists, enthusiasts, and brands powering the global sneaker marketplace, each episode of SneakerCenter will be anchored by a unique narrative, supported by a rotating set of “mixtape-style” segments that take fans deep into every aspect of the sneaker movement. Directed by award-winning filmmaker and acclaimed author Bobbito García, a special preview episode featuring NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is streaming now, with the full series premiering in the fall.

Hulu Pavilion
The Hulu Pavilion will be home to more than 20 iconic costumes and artifacts, including the famous red robe worn by the likes of Elisabeth Moss in The Handmaid’s Tale, paintings featured in season one of Castle Rock, and George Clooney’s Catch-22 costume. In addition to costumes, visitors to the interactive exhibit will be able to get a close look at show props from upcoming Hulu Originals like Little Fires Everywhere and select shows found in Hulu’s streaming library, such as The Good Doctor, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Goldbergs.

Disney+ Pavilion Stage Programming
Additionally, the Disney+ Pavilion Stage will host three full days of panels, highlighting the service’s diverse originals and its collection of beloved movies and shows, along with special ESPN+ panel programming.

The tentative schedule is as follows with times subject to change:

Friday, August 23
10 a.m. ESPN+ Presents Peyton’s Places Special Screening and NFL 100th Anniversary Trivia

12 p.m. Walt Disney Animation Studios Panel with Eric Goldberg and Mark Henn

12:30 p.m. The World According to Jeff Goldblum Q&A with Jeff Goldblum

1:15 p.m. Phineas and Ferb Conversation with Dan Povenmire and Jeff “Swampy” Marsh

Saturday, August 24
10 a.m. ESPN+ Presents SneakerCenter Panel moderated by show director Bobbito Garcia

11 p.m. ESPN+ Presents SneakerCenter Demonstration by Mr. Cartoon

12 p.m. Stargirl Performance and Panel

1 p.m. The Simpsons Trivia with Yeardley Smith

1:15 p.m. Marvel’s Hero Project Panel with Sana Amanat, Sarah Amos and Stephen Wacker

2:30 p.m. Forky Asks a Question and Lamp Life Creative Panel with Val LaPointe, Bob Peterson, Mark Nielsen, and Marc Sondheimer

3 p.m. Secret Society of Second Born Royals Q&A with Peyton Elizabeth Lee and Skylar Astin

Sunday, August 25
10:45 a.m. Prop Culture Movie Prop Showcase and Q&A with Dan Lanigan, Jason Henry, Tony Swatton, and Fon Davis

11:15 a.m. Be Our Chef Games with Angela Kinsey

12 p.m. Monsters At Work Behind-the-Scenes Presentation with Bobs Gannaway and Ferrell Barron

12:45 p.m. The Imagineering Story Conversation with Leslie Iwerks and Bob Weis

1:15 p.m. Short Circuit Creative Panel

3:30 p.m. Pixar’s SparkShorts Screening

5 p.m. ESPN+ Hosted DJ Wrap

Single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday of D23 Expo 2019 are available for $89 for one-day adult admission and $69 for children 3–9. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $79 for a one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Single-day Saturday tickets and three-day passes are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2019, visit D23Expo.com.

New Super Lucky’s Tale Nintendo Switch Launch Date

2019/07/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, Trailers / Videos

McKinney, TX – July 29, 2019 – Playful Studios has announced that New Super Lucky’s Tale, the adorable 3D adventure platformer, will launch globally on Nintendo Switch at physical retailers and digitally via the Nintendo eShop on November 8, 2019.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is a love letter to classic 3D platformers, with tons of collectibles to gather, rewarding secrets to discover, memorable characters to meet, and stylish costumes to show off. Climb incredible heights, jump agilely over danger, burrow deep underground, and explore amazing worlds on an epic quest to rescue the Book of Ages from the nefarious Jinx and his Kitty Litter underlings!

A challenging delight for players of all ages and skill levels, New Super Lucky’s Tale features an incredible variety of gameplay with expansive hubs, story-based adventure levels, 2D side-scrolling challenges, rewarding mini-games, mind-bending puzzles and thrilling boss battles.

To learn more about New Super Lucky’s Tale, visit www.NewSuperLuckysTale.com.

FRIENDS Pop Up Experience Announced for Manhattan

2019/07/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Movie News, News

BURBANK, Calif. (July 29, 2019) — We are no longer on a break, FRIENDS fans! “The One with the Pop-Up” is here! It’s been 25 years since the first time we met Ross, Rachel, Joey, Monica, Chandler and Phoebe, so set your calendar back to 1994 and revisit some of the series’ most iconic moments with an immersive pop-up experience brought to you by Superfly, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and Warner Bros. Television Group. Tickets will go on sale Friday, August 2, exclusively at www.friends25popup.com.

The nostalgia-packed space offers fans the opportunity to explore the show and capture photos with set re-creations, props, and costumes that have defined 25 years of everyone’s favorite FRIENDS. Stick a turkey on your head, peek through Rachel and Monica’s purple door, relax on Chandler and Joey’s recliner after playing some foosball, or help Ross with the infamous sofa pivot. Learn Monica’s top tidying tips with Method Home Products and surround yourself with Phoebe’s favorite things before heading to the re-created Central Perk for a pic on the legendary orange couch. Could this BE any more exciting?

“It’s been nearly 25 years since FRIENDS premiered, but the fascination and universal appeal of the hit TV series lives on with fans of all ages,” said Peter van Roden, Senior Vice President, Global Themed Entertainment, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “As we celebrate the show’s milestone anniversary, we are excited to bring the FRIENDS experience to life for our fans in a way that pays homage to the remarkable cast of characters, iconic sets and instantly quotable moments.” Superfly is equally thrilled about the partnership. “We’re excited to celebrate 25 years of fandom with the show’s biggest immersive experience to date,” said Jonathan Mayers, co-founder, Superfly. “The FRIENDS New York City Pop-Up captures the series most memorable moments with the characters, memorabilia, set re-creations and exclusive merchandise.”

The month-long pop-up, which also includes a FRIENDS retail store, opens September 7 and runs through October 6. The first day of the public opening, September 7, is dedicated exclusively to AT&T customers who have a chance to get complimentary tickets through the AT&T THANKS appreciation program. Eligible AT&T customers in NYC can download the AT&T THANKS app¹ today to learn more about how to access these complimentary tickets.²

Located in the heart of Manhattan’s SoHo district, the ticketholder entrance will be at 76 Mercer St. (between Spring & Broome), and the retail store entrance will be at 503 Broadway. The pop-up experience will be open SEVEN days a week, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Patrons can reserve a time slot to visit the pop-up with a ticket purchase priced at $29.50.

For more information, visit Friends25Popup.com. #Friends25

The Dark Pictures Anthology – Man of Medan Curator’s Cut Trailer

2019/07/30

boothby

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Xbox One News

July 30, 2019 – BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. and Supermassive today released Part 4 of its Developer Diary series for the upcoming narrative-horror anthology series, The Dark Pictures Anthology – Man of Medan, coming to PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system, Xbox One, and PCs via STEAM® on August 30, 2019.

The dev diary dives into the repercussions and consequences of decisions made in the game as different choices lead down different and potentially deadly paths in both the game and in life.

Developed by Supermassive Games, the critically-acclaimed studio behind the cult-classic thriller Until Dawn, The Dark Pictures Anthology is a series of standalone cinematic horror games linked by one common element: that every playable character can live and every playable character can die throughout the story, yielding numerous possible endings and near-limitless replayability. Man of Medan will be anchored by a talented cast of actors, including stars Shawn Ashmore (X-Men, Quantum Break) and Pip Torrens (The Crown, Star Wars: The Force Awakens) as the Curator, whose in-game likenesses are rendered in vivid detail.

Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor to Unveil New Maze at Midsummer Scream

2019/07/30

boothby

Geek News, Halloween, News

July 30, 2019 – The Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor, Southern California’s most terrifyingly authentic haunt, will unveil its newest maze and highly anticipated 10-year celebrations at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach on Sunday, August 4 at 3:30pm.

Join the producers and directors of Dark Harbor for a featured presentation and discussion of all the new and exciting terrors for 2019. Be one of the first to learn all the spine-chilling details of the world-famous attractions’ 10th anniversary and the tempestuous details on the NEWEST maze bringing fears to Dark Harbor nightly. The 2019 Dark Harbor team has some of most disturbing and creative minds in the haunt industry, with the August 4th panel welcoming:

Charity Hill, Executive Producer
Steve Sheldon, Executive Producer
Adam Conger, Technical Director
Jon Cooke, Creative Director
David Wally, Executive Talent Director

Midsummer Scream Halloween Festival is a weekend-long celebration of everything Halloween, haunts and horror debuting August 3-4 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California.

TICKETS:
https://midsummerscream.org/tickets-2019-40percent-off/

WHEN:
Sunday, August 4, 3:30 p.m.

WHERE:
Midsummer Scream
Long Beach Convention Center, Main Stage
300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA 90802

Six Flags Great Adventure August Events Announced Including Fright Fest Auditions

2019/07/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, Halloween, News

Six Flags Great Adventure has unveiled its August calendar of events – including auditions to be a zombie at their annual Fright Fest haunted attraction!

Fright Fest Zombie Auditions – August 3, 9, 17, 24 & 30

Individuals with a love for Halloween are encouraged to visit Six Flags Great Adventure July 27 at 1 p.m. for Fright Fest zombie auditions. Group auditions are perfect for those with no previous experience in scaring, and include fun exercise before a panel of judges. Applicants are encouraged to showcase their quirky, strange, funny and creepy qualities. All participants must be at least 16 years old. Auditions take place in the Employment Center and applicants will enter through the employee entrance at 609 Monmouth Road, Jackson NJ. New employees must apply before attending an audition at www.sixflagsjobs.com. Fright Fest runs Sept. 13 through Oct. 31 on weekends and select days.

Jeremy Camp and Tenth Avenue North in Concert – August 3

Six Flags Great Adventure will team up with Star 99.1FM to present CELEBRATION! featuring Jeremy Camp and Tenth Avenue North live in concert August 3 at 7:30 p.m. in the Northern Star Arena. The celebration of faith and fun will be included with theme park admission, active Membership or Season Pass. Star 99.1 will also host a family picnic which will feature an all-you-can-eat buffet. The picnic will allow guests to interact with Star 99.1 personalities, win great prizes and enjoy music from the Star 99.1 playlist. Jeremy Camp has 12 years of accolades as a songwriter and recording artist, including four million albums sold, four RIAA gold albums, a multiplatinum DVD, three American Music award nominations and a GRAMMY nomination. Tenth Avenue North made their national debut in 2008 with their first RIAA gold certification album Over and Underneath. They won the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for New Artist of the Year in 2010, and have continued to gain momentum throughout the decade.

RWJBarnabas Health Blood Drive – August 17

RWJBarnabas will host a blood drive at Six Flags Great Adventure’s Employment Center June 30 from 9 a.m. through 2:30 p.m. Each donor will receive one theme park ticket valid for the park. One donation will save up to three lives. Appointments will create the best possible donation experience, as individuals can sign up through RWJUH Donor Club’s website. Donors should use the employee entrance at 609 Monmouth Road, Jackson NJ.

Superhero Glow Run – August 17

Six Flags will host a Superhero fun run August 17 throughout the park at when the sun goes down. Wearing a DC Super Hero cape, participants will have the opportunity to glow as they get covered in UV glow powder. This event is free for any active Gold Plus, Platinum, Diamond and Diamond Elite Member. Registration is required for free event admission, as Members can visit Member Portal to register today under general benefits. Regular Membership, Gold Membership, Season Pass holders and any guest holding any other type of theme park admission must purchase an event ticket to remain in the park for the event. Tickets must be purchased by August 16. Theme park and event admission will be $60.00 plus tax per person, Season Pass holders will pay $25.00 plus tax per person. The cape and powder packet will be $10.00 per person while supplies last. Race timeline is available at https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/special-events/superhero-glow-run

Caribbean Concert featuring Machel Montano and Friends – August 18

In celebration of the 14^th annual Caribbean concert, Six Flags Great Adventure will host Machel Montano, Aidonia, Elephant Man, Nadia Batson, Skiiny Fabulous, Teddyson Johnson and more in concert August 18. The show will take place in the Northern Star Arena at 6 p.m. and requires a separate ticket for admission. Guests are encouraged to visit www.CaribbeanConcerts.com or call 718-926-5975 for tickets and more information.

The Great Coaster Race – August 18

Coaster enthusiasts and guests alike can celebrate National Roller Coaster Weekend with a special 5k and 10k coaster race August 18. Participants in the Great Coaster Race will soar through the race based on roller coaster track distance while raising money to support a great cause. For race options, coaster lengths and height restrictions, guests can visit https://www.sixflags.com/greatadventure/special-events/other-events/great-roller-coaster-race.

2020 New Attraction Announcement – August 29

Stay tuned as Six Flags Great Adventure announces its highly-anticipated new attraction for 2020. After months of rumor and speculation, the legendary and monstrous details will be revealed at 5 a.m. via its website and social media. The world record-breaking project is slated to open next summer.

Labor Day Weekend – August 31 through September 2

The summer draws to a close with a holiday weekend full of fun and thrills at Six Flags Great Adventure August 31 through Sept. 2. Coasters, sweet treats, exotic animals and live shows are a great way to say farewell to summer. Memberships and Season Passes are the best way to continue the fun into the fall and winter seasons.

General Park Information

For more information, guests can call 732/928-2000 or visit www.sixflags.com/greatadventure

Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time San Diego Comic Con Hands-On

2019/07/30

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News, Previews, SDCC, Trailers / Videos, Windows PC News, Windows PC Preview

While at the San Diego Comic Con, I got the chance to go hands-on with Maze Theory’s upcoming Doctor Who: The Edge Of Time. The VR game puts players in the role of the doctor as they try to save the fabric of reality itself from a deadly threat. Throughout the experience, players will be able to travel to a number of locations and take on a variety of tasks to accomplish their goals.

During the demo I experienced, I had to build a locator device so that the TARDIS could materialize at my location. While doing so, I utilized the Oculus Quest’s controllers to manipulate items and place them together to build the device. The Sonic Screwdriver does get to be used and is equipped from a belt pouch. As any self-respecting Whovian would expect, it does do some really cool things during the demo and I am very interested to see how it is utilized throughout the entire gameplay experience. Object manipulation was very smooth and, despite the demo basically being one of the “scavenger hunt” variety, was satisfying and features some nuance, what with having to use the screwdriver to affect the environment to reach particular items.

The demo only took about four minutes but that wasn’t an issue given the long line to try it at what is one of the world’s busiest geek-focused events. The VR itself will support both free motion as well as teleportation style movement, and will play exceedingly well both while seated as well as room scale environments. Maze Theory has never made a VR game before but, from what I can tell, they are doing a really good job crafting an immersive Doctor Who experience. Doctor Who: The Edge of Time VR launches this September on the PlayStation 4 as well as Oculus and Windows PC platforms. You can find out more about the game at its official website.

GamingShogun Day Off

2019/07/29

Jerry Paxton

Geek News, News

Today is the annual GamingShogun day off. We will resume regular programming tomorrow after we rinse off all the beach sand from our feet!

Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition Nintendo Switch Launch Date

2019/07/26

boothby

Geek News, News, Nintendo Switch, Trailers / Videos

Baltimore, MD – July 26th, 2019 – Independent games publisher Versus Evil in partnership with Obsidian Entertainment today announced that Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition will launch on Nintendo Switch on August 8th for $49.99 / € 49,99 / £ 44.99. Consumers can now digitally pre-order the game through the Nintendo Switch eShop and receive a 20% discount on the game.

Nintendo Switch players and newcomers to the Pillars universe will get to experience the deep sense of exploration and discovery in a meticulously crafted RPG adventure that was made possible by over 70,000 backers on Kickstarter. Not only will players journey across an original fantasy realm filled with monster infested dungeons and challenges, but they’ll also explore the expanded world and content of the games two part DLC, The White March: Parts I & II.

In addition to that Nintendo Switch players will also benefit from all the major updates from the original PC version, including a raised level cap, expanded party AI options, and new difficulty levels to build out the ultimate RPG adventure.

For its part, Versus Evil General Manager Steve Escalante said: “We are thrilled to be announcing that Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is launching on Nintendo Switch in August. Our continued partnership with Obsidian reaffirms our combined commitment in delivering one of the best RPG experiences available to Nintendo Switch players.”

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle Review

2019/07/26

Allison Burr

Geek News, News, PlayStation 4 News, Reviews, Windows PC News, Xbox One News, Xbox One Review

Attack on Titan (AoT) is a Japanese manga series that was adapted into an anime, and most recently transferred into the realm of video games. In the AoT realm, humanity lives within a city surrounded by three walls that protect them from the giant human like Titans that wish to devour them. In humanities last effort to survive, they create an army of humans with a set of equipment, the Omni-Directional; Mobility Gear, that allowed them to fight in the air attached to iron wires that hook on to the terrain around them. Equip with this gear, humanity must push back against the advancing Titans in hopes of one day being able to live outside their walls.

Attack on Titan 2 was released on March 20th of 2018 and offers the players a glimpse of what it would be like to be a part of the story. On July 5th, an expansion Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle was released which furthered the story mode and included additional battle modes. I went into this sequel game having a basic knowledge of AoT. I knew there were titans, they were naked, they were the bad guys that needed to be taken down, and that I was ready to hack and slash my way through the air.

The game loaded in and immediately recommended easy mode, it then gave the player the option of setting the gore to either on, or off. The final option the game offers before starting is “auto-assist”. This feature is a type of autopilot that helps the player automatically complete aerial maneuvers. For this play through I chose to go with normal difficulty, gore on, and no assist. One of those I had to change almost immediately.

The game play seemed simple at first but aerial combat soon became the bane of my existence. During the tutorial training mission, I found myself frustrated trying to button mash the controller and found my character very often slamming head first into the ground. After about five minutes of frustration I buckled and turned on the “auto-assist” mode. This mode made a huge difference. I soon found myself as a medieval spider-man swinging across the screen with giddy excitement. What was first a chore, become immensely fun. I felt intimidated by the Titans at first glance but soon found myself doing aerial moves and taking them down single-handedly all with the help of the auto-assist. It allowed me to enjoy the game, but also didn’t make it feel like I was cheating or that the game was holding my hand. I still needed to be alert and in the driver’s seat at all times.

One of the most surprising aspects of the game for me was the audio. I went in expecting to be reading text off a screen and becoming bored rather easily. Instead the game had a wide range of voice actors, with all in game dialogue text accompanied by Japanese voice over. The game also allows the player to fully customize their character’s appearance, clothing, and choose from both ten male and female voices. I began to feel more a part of the in game world knowing that my character had their own style, and more importantly their own voice.

With all of the fun combat and downtime talking with characters from the manga, there were a few downsides. My first major issue was the point of view shifts from game play to the cut scenes. During gameplay, the player’s perspective was third person which made it easy to navigate and take in the world around them. Cut scenes however, were told from the first person perspective. This made looking up at Titans thrilling, but also took away from the story as it was jarring to suddenly switch perspective mid battle and no longer be able to control the character.

The second gripe I had was long it took to reload. In AoT2, the player has to keep an eye on their blade sharpness and how much gas they have left in their Omni-Directional Mobility Gear. The issue wasn’t how fast these gauges depleted, but how long it took to reload them. The developers did not make it possible to both move and reload simultaneously, so mid battle with a Titan the player would have to stop in their tracks to reload, all while hoping the Titan didn’t happen to notice.

I am amazed how well Attack on Titan transferred over into the video game realm and much the developers packed into one game. The basic story line covers the first 50 chapters from the manga, and the additional Final Battle DLC covers another 40 chapters. With the creative tie in to the story while getting to fully customize a character, I found myself enjoying the adventure and wanting to know what happened next. Both fans and newcomers alike that feel up to the challenge of being humanities’ last defense should definitely step up to the plate!